IKO UK & Ireland’s RC sealing system means premature linear bearing failure can become a thing of the past. Here the company explains how…
Environments that contain dust, dirt or other debris can cause major problems for linear bearings, and premature failure of these parts can often be an issue.
To help, IKO’s patented RC sealing system stops contaminants getting into the carriage/slide block in the first place, giving protection to the rolling elements and preventing that early failure from happening.
Tackling engineering issues
With a dedicated team of internal and externally based engineering staff who are well versed in tackling commonly experienced engineering issues, while at the same time being able to offer suggestions, support and design guidance for new ‘blank page’ projects, IKO UK & Ireland is always on hand to help.
A recent example of how their knowledge was able to solve a problem a customer was having related specifically to a grinding machine. However, the principle of protecting the rolling elements from contaminant ingress applies to a much wider range of applications, whether those contaminants be solid or liquid.
The customer in question was already familiar with other products within the IKO range but, once the technical sales team were involved in the conversation, it soon became apparent that the products they were using weren’t necessarily the best ones IKO could offer for that application.
The customer had been experiencing high rates of premature bearing failure due to the ingress of cutting fluids that left debris in the bearing raceways. This quickly built up, causing the bearings to collapse. In addition, they were having other issues with the length and complexity of the set-up process and had long felt that improvements to the manufacturing process could potentially improve the quality of the finished product too.
IKO’s technical team met with the customer on site and went through the application in detail, looking at not only the current design, but also to get a full understanding of what other aspects the customer wanted to make improvements to.
It was agreed that the most important aspects where changes were needed were: the overall service life of the equipment, and the rigidity of the overall system. The latter of which allowed them subsequently to produce a more precise component on a regularly repeatable basis.
IKO ultimately selected its MX range fitted with the RC sealing system as the most appropriate product for the application. Following this, the customer soon saw an increase in output and an improvement in finished product. It also regained the ability to plan its annual maintenance once again – which was an unplanned additional benefit.
The MX product is IKO’s roller type linear guide. This offers the brand’s highest level of rolling performance in terms of load capacity, rigidity, frictional resistance and accuracy. The RC sealing system consists of scrapers (to deal with larger contaminants such as welding spatter), C-Wiper (to add lubrication to the rail surfaces), end seals, inner seals and even under seals (to further protect the rolling elements from contamination).
The seals in the RC system are lubricated meaning they will last significantly longer and give prolonged protection to the rolling elements. NB: Unlubricated seals will fatigue and fail relatively quickly, but IKO regularly uses the example of using a rubber/eraser which has been dipped in oil and used, as opposed to one which is used dry that will start to crumble from the beginning.
A wide range of products
Alongside its comprehensive range of linear motion products including these MX and RC products, IKO also produces miniature ball type components with rails as small as 1mm wide (the LWL & ML series) amongst many other linear options including splines and limited/defined stroke units to name but two of these.
It also produces a large range of crossed roller bearings, cam followers and other high precision needle products, as well as a diverse series of linear, rotary and elevation high precision mechatronic stages too.
The majority of all the company’s products are manufactured in Japan.
Contact IKO UK & Ireland today to discuss your linear or rotary motion needs in detail.
IKO UK & Ireland
T: 01908 566144
